HEBREW WORD STUDY – LABOR NOT  – ‘AL  TIG     אל. תיגע

Pr 23:4 . Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.

Proverbs 23:4-5:  “Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. (5)Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for [riches] certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.”

I just heard on the news that the lottery has reached a grand prize of over one billion dollars.  All the bus drivers are putting in $5.00 a piece to buy tickets and wanted to know if I would like to be a part of the lottery pool. I told them no.  It was not because I am against gambling, which I am, it was not because I stood a one and three hundred million chance of winning which is true, it wasn’t because I could not afford $5.00 which I really can’t.  No, I had a bigger plan.  I asked the organizer of this pool to do me a favor if they won.  The press from all over the world will descend upon her with all sorts of questions.  One question they would be sure to ask is if anyone refused to join the pool.  All I ask is that she mentions my name and that I refused because I did not believe in gambling.   That would surely bring the press corps descending upon me asking me if I regret not joining the pool.

I would be ready to tell the world that I had no regrets.  That I considered gambling to be of the devil and that as a former Hebrew professor who wrote a number of books, one a best seller and that they could find my books on Amazon under Chaim Bentorah and could sign up for my Access site for $20.00 a month, I could not in good conscience accept the devil’s money.  When asked where in Scripture I find it wrong to gamble I will simply say: “I don’t know, but I am sure it is in there somewhere.”  That is all.  Once that hits the news line my books will become overnight bestsellers, I will be flooded with speaking engagements and people wanting to hear from the Hebrew teacher who would not accept the devil’s money.  I may be asked to write a book about my experience with a huge advance and of course, Brad Pitt would have to play me in the movie version.  Once the other bus drivers paid all the taxes and legal fees from people suing them for fraudulent sex abuse, racist remarks etc, I will quietly be rolling in money where  no one would bother to ask “How much?”  I would just be the poor slob who passed up the chance to make millions (in order to obtain millions) because he had such a noble conscience.

Oddly, that is the exact attitude that King Solomon, the richest man in the world, is addressing when he says; “Labor not to be rich, cease from thine own wisdom.”  The word labor in Hebrew is yaga’  which is working yourself to exhaustion which is followed by “cease from thine own wisdom.”  Wisdom in Hebrew here is binath which is not the word for wisdom but a word used for personal understanding.  In many cases, you can apply the English word scheming or plotting.  King Solomon is not referring to making wise investments, using proper money management and budgeting   He is talking about the get rich quick schemes, like playing the lottery, or scheming how you make money by not playing. This verse is not condemning those who work hard, work to exhaustion trying to earn a living but is referencing those who make a quick buck selling shares to the Brooklyn Bridge or who use Ponzi schemes.  He is also referencing those who sell their used cars without telling the prospective buyer that the transmission is on its last year. In other words, what is condemned is making money off of people who get nothing in return.  There are many, and you met them, who spend money on basic needs on the lottery in hopes of winning it big. If you win, they lose and you collect their money which should have paid their rent or purchased groceries. This is what Solomon is talking about.  There are many who will tithe their rent money or even grocery money hoping God will reward them, they are not giving out of love for God but to literally bribe God. God does not take bribes nor does He run a lottery or ponzi scheme.  He provides according to your need, like a loving parent.

Hi there! Thank you for reading this Daily Word Study. Can I ask a favor? Share this Daily Word Study with your friends on Facebook and Twitter by clicking one of the icons below.

Thanks & Blessings, it means a lot to me!